Dying your hair crazy colors is a great way to have fun and express yourself. Candy colored hair is also a fantastic tool for mesmerizing small children. I always enjoy walking past the little boy or girl staring in wonder at my bright blue (or pink or green etc) hair. Just be sure you are ready for the attention that unusual hair attracts.

The whole process usually takes three to four hours, but if you have a friend to help out, the process can go faster.

Steps

1

The Strand Test: Before dying your actual hair, you should follow these steps to make sure your dye will give you the color you want.

Cut a small piece of hair to test.

Mix a teaspoon of bleach with a teaspoon of developer in your bowl.

Saturate hair sample with mixture

Check lightness after 20 minutes. Leave mixture on longer if necessary, but not longer than 45 minutes.

Rinse hair sample.

Cover hair sample with color.

After 10 minutes, check hair color every 5 minutes.

When you achieve the color you want, make a note of how long the dye has been in. This is the time you will use when you dye your hair.

2

Preparation:

Do not wash your hair the day you plan to dye your hair. The natural oils in your hair will help protect the hair from damage.

Cover the counter surface with plastic wrap.

Make sure your workspace is well ventilated.

3

Bleaching your hair:

4

Put on a pair of gloves.

5

Mix the bleach and developer in your bowl according to the package instructions.

6

Starting with your roots, brush the mixture onto your hair.

Separate a one to two inch section of hair.

Brush the mixture on using short strokes going in the direction of the hair.

Flip the section of hair over and make sure the other side is also saturated.

7

Check to make sure every part of your hair is evenly covered.

Apply more bleach to areas as needed.

When finished, pile your hair on top of your head and cover with a plastic bag.

Rinse your bowl thoroughly.

8

Set the timer for 20 minutes.

9

Check the level of lightness after 20 minutes. You are looking for a light lemon yellow color.

If your hair is not light enough, you may leave the bleach on longer. Do Not leave the bleach on for longer than 45 minutes.

If you feel a burning sensation: Immediately rinse hair with cold water.

10

Rinse your hair with cool or lukewarm water until there is no more bleach.

11

Use a little bit of shampoo to remove any remaining particles, and rinse again thoroughly.

12

Gently comb and towel dry hair.

13

Dying your hair:

14

Apply the petroleum jelly along your entire hairline.

Do not be stingy. This is what will keep you from dying your face along with your hair.

15

Put on a new pair of gloves.

16

Pour some color into your bowl.

17

Starting with your roots, brush the mixture onto your hair. The process is the same as for applying the bleach.

18

Check to make sure every part of your hair is evenly covered.

Apply more color to areas as needed.

When finished, pile your hair on top of your head and cover with a plastic bag.

Community Q&A

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Tips

Do not start at the roots as instructed, your scalp is hot and will process the bleach quicker than the rest of your hair leaving you with lighter roots and darker ends, dye the lengths and ends first and go back to the roots last.

Maintenance: To keep your hair bright and shiny, wash your hair with cool water (lukewarm water is alright). You should deep condition your hair once a week to help repair the damage caused by bleaching.

A Note on Brands: The choice color brand can have a large impact on the intensity and duration of your hair color. Even within a brand certain colors fade much faster than others. I normally spend a couple days reading reviews of the specific color I want before I make my purchase. Some common brands are Manic Panic, Raw Hair Dye (both of which are available at Hot Topic), Punky Colour, and Special Effects. Although Manic Panic is the most widely available, the common opinion in the hair color community is that Manic Panic fades very quickly. If you want to change you color every two or three weeks, then this will be good for you, since you will not need to re-bleach your hair. However, if you want to have long lasting, bright color you probably want to choose a different brand. I have had good results with the other three brands I mentioned, although I do find Raw Hair Dye to be more messy than most. For bleach and developer I use Clairol Pure White, but any brand that does not have built in toner will do.

If you do not achieve the right level of lightness: Let your hair dry, and feel the texture. If your hair is very dry and crispy, you should not bleach your hair again, as this may cause your hair to fall out. If your hair is still fairly dark, you may have to settle for a more subtle color. If your hair still feels reasonably healthy and smooth, you may bleach your hair again. However, you should wait at least a day before doing so, or wait three or four days if possible. This will give your hair time to recover so that a second bleaching does not cause as much damage.

Re-coloring: When you want to recolor, if you are doing the same color again you can bleach only your roots and then apply the color. If you want to do a new color: If your hair has faded a reasonable amount, you may be able to apply a new color without bleaching your hair again. Do a strand test to see if you new color will cover the old one. If not, assess the health of your hair. If your hair is in good shape, you may bleach your hair again. When you do, first apply the bleach to your roots only. After 10 minutes, apply the bleach to the rest of your hair. Again, be aware that you may need to cut your hair after more than one bleaching.

Warnings

Bleaching causes severe damage to your hair. When choosing developer, pick the lowest possible volume: If your hair is dark and unbleached using 30 volume is alright. If you have previously bleached or dyed your hair, use 10 or 20 volume. You should also be prepared to cut hair that becomes too severely damaged.

Properly preparing the area you will work in is very important. Most bold color dyes will stain any surface they come it contact with instantly. If this happens, a harsh household cleaner such as Comet will usually, but not always, remove the stain.